Thanks so much to my lovely beta, KJ. She is seriously amazing. All mistakes, however, are mine because I don't leave stuff alone. :D

Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong solely to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter Two

The gravel crunched beneath the truck's tires as we pulled into the driveway. Jacob didn't say a word during the entire trip home, but from the grim expression on his face, it was apparent he was still pissed.

Without looking in my direction, he turned off the engine and said, "Get inside, and go directly to your room. I'll deal with you later."

I left the truck with a huff, slamming the door on my way out. When I entered the house and found Mom sitting on the sofa, I breathed a sigh of relief and rushed to her side. "Mom, Jacob's being a jerk."

Jacob entered the house at that very moment. His eyes widened when he saw me sitting next to her. "I told you to go to your room—not run to Mom and act like a whiny, spoiled brat."

Anger bubbled throughout my body. Ready to explode like a shaken bottle of soda pop, I stood and stormed across the room. Jabbing my finger in his chest, I said, "You're not the boss of me. I didn't do anything wrong." Turning, I gave my mom a pleading look. "I was at the beach with Leah. All I was doing was collecting sea glass along the shore."

Her brow furrowed as she glanced between us. "What's going on? I don't understand."

He chuckled dryly and grasped my arm, twisting my body in her direction. "That's because she's not telling you the entire truth. She wasn't with Leah—she was with some hókʷat, and from the looks of things, they were getting nice and cozy."

Mom gasped. Her lips thinned, and disappointment flooded her eyes. "What do you mean? Bella, what were you doing with a boy?"

My heart danced at her interrogation. I rarely got into trouble and hated making my mother upset. "Nothing. He approached me and touched my hair, but I backed away...I swear. I-I was leaving when Jacob arrived."

Jacob shook his head and scoffed. "Sure. That's what you say now. And what about Leah? I thought you said you were with her?"

Shit! I shouldn't have said that. "I-I was, but she had already left." Chewing on my bottom lip, I shuffled my feet, hoping they believed my lie.

"Why didn't you leave when she did?" Mom asked. "You know I don't like you running around the reservation by yourself."

Lowering my chin, I mumbled, "I just wanted some time alone to think. I'm sorry."

She stood and wrapped her arms around me, hugging me close. "It's okay but don't let it happen again. I don't know what I would do without my little honeybee."

-GGB-

An hour later, Jacob appeared in the doorway of my room. I glanced up from the book I was reading. "What do you want?"

Without responding, he walked in, closing the door behind him. He plopped on the edge of my bed and ripped my book from my grip. After he studied the cover, he rolled his eyes and flung it to the floor. "I can't believe Mom lets you read this trash."

Crossing my arms, I jutted out my chin. "That trash is on the New York Times Best Sellers list, but you wouldn't know anything about good literature—even if it bit you in the ass."

He shrugged his shoulders. "Looks like smut to me, but what else would a slut-in-training like yourself be reading?"

My mouth gaped open at his words as tears burned in my eyes. Sure, Jacob had been mean to me in the past, but he had never before been this downright cruel. I felt as if I had been punched in the gut. "Why are you being so hurtful?" I asked as heat filled my cheeks. "What have I done to cause you to treat me this way? You've become a different person since Dad died."

He ran a palm across his jaw and exhaled. "Things change. You wouldn't understand."

"That's not fair. I can't understand because you won't explain it to me. We used to be so close. Even though you're seven years older than me, you know how much I've always admired you. You're my big brother. I idolized you."

A soft flicker of raw emotion flashed through his eyes. For a moment, I thought the old Jacob might resurface, but he gritted his teeth and gave me a cold, blank stare. "We both know I'm not your actual brother, Bella. In fact, you're nothing but a burden. A burden my father took on without consulting the rest of the family. And now that he's gone, I'm left to deal with the consequences." He stood and walked toward the door. "I've said too much. Just stay out of trouble and behave."

Scrambling to my feet, I chased after him. "What do you mean?" I cried, clutching the sleeve of his shirt. "I'm not a burden. Mom wants me. Dad wanted me. Take it back!"

He flung me away with a grimace. "Just drop it. One day, you'll know the truth, and then you'll realize all the sacrifices this family has made for you."

After Jacob left my room, I crumpled to the floor and lay in a fetal position, sobbing. How could he blame me for being adopted? I never asked to be abandoned by my birth parents. And how did my adoption have a negative impact on his life, anyway? Sure, I was bullied at school, but everybody in the community loved Jacob. He was already on the Tribal Council and would one day become the Chief of the Tribe.

And what I had said to him earlier was true. When we were younger, I adored him, and I'm certain he felt the same about me. I could still remember making mud pies together on rainy days and spending time at First Beach watching seals play in the ocean. As soon as I could walk, I was tagging along after him. So much so, he soon began calling me honeybee. He said it was because I was always buzzing around, but I heard him tell Dad it was because he couldn't imagine having a sweeter sister. So what had changed? It made no sense, and I wasn't sure it ever would.

I snapped out of my musings when Mom knocked on my door, announcing I had a call. Knowing it had to be Leah, I quickly wiped my cheeks and dashed past her, going to the kitchen where our only phone hung next to the refrigerator.

"Hello?" I answered, breathless from rushing.

"Honey, what in the hell happened? Tyler said some guy attacked both of you at the beach. By his description, I assumed it was Jacob."

"Yeah, he showed up while you were with Mike." I peeked around the room to see if anyone was listening. "I didn't know what to do. Jacob was so upset, and I was afraid if he found out you were with a guy, things would get even worse. I hope you know I would never leave you alone like that, right? You're okay, aren't you?"

She scoffed. Even if she had been scared, Leah would never admit to it. "Of course, I'm okay. I can take care of myself. Anyway, I was more worried about you. The way Tyler talked, it sounded as if Jacob had hit you or something."

I inspected my nails as I hesitated. Even though Leah was my best friend, I didn't want her to know everything that had occurred between Jacob and me. I was embarrassed and ashamed. She was so damn strong. Why did I always have to be the weak, pathetic one? "That's crazy. He didn't hit me. I lost my balance and fell. He was upset with me for being alone with a boy, but other than that, everything else is fine."

"If you're sure..." She didn't sound convinced.

"Yeah. Now, tell me about Mike. Do you like him? Did you find out if blonds do it better?" I teased, attempting to change the subject.

"Honeybee Black!" she scolded. "One. I'm not a slut, so I have no idea if blonds do it better. Two. I don't know if I like him. We just met today, for fuck's sake."

"I'm sorry. I assumed when the two of you went into the van—"

She groaned. "You have so much to learn about sex. There are so many things to do other than the actual act itself. If you weren't such a frigid bitch, you would know this."

I knew she was joking, but her words still stung. "Hey. I'm not frigid; I'm just not ready. I want to wait. You know this."

"I'm aware, and I'm kidding—well, sort of. I just worry you have some ideal man built up in your mind, and he will never happen. God forbid your vag shrivels up like a prune before you even get a chance to use it."

I gagged at her words. "Gross, Leah. You're disgusting. And I don't think I need to worry about anything shriveling up yet. I'm only sixteen."

"Best time to use it—when it's young and fresh." She was interrupted when her mom shouted in the background. "Shit, I need to go. Mom needs my help with dinner. Talk to you tomorrow."

After she hung up, I returned to my room. Standing at the window next to my bed, I peered out into the evening sky and watched a lone seagull fly toward the shore. As I observed the easy way it soared, I felt a pang of envy as I thought of Leah. Like a bird, she was small, yet mighty, using her wings to navigate bravely through life. Why couldn't I have courage? Would I ever experience freedom?

With a resounding thud, I collapsed onto my bed, berating myself for my foolish thoughts. Deep down, I knew some people were meant to fly. I wasn't one of them.

I was meant to walk.

AN:

Wow! I was so surprised by the response over the first chapter! Thank you for taking time from reading Midnight Sun to check out my new story.

A couple of readers asked what hókʷat means. If you didn't catch it in the first chapter, it is the Quileute word for non-Indian.

A special shout-out again to my wonderful pre-readers: K, Kay, Lizzie, Mandy, and Gail. I couldn't do it without you.

Once again, this is a slow burn. Edward will be on the scene in a future chapter.

I hope everyone has a safe and healthy week.

Until next time,

HE